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Aziz Ansari

By TIME StaffMonday, Apr. 04, 2011

RD / Thomas / Retna Ltd. / Corbis

Age: 28
Occupation: Comedian, actor
Previous TIME 100 appearances: 0

As a teenager, Ansari was already sprinting through Manhattan's comedy scene as a major headliner. Shortly after moving out west, he managed to take Hollywood by storm as well. The funniest member of the Parks and Recreation cast, a force of nature on MTV's Human Giant comedy series, a solo touring hit  with a hit record to boot  and a major presence online, where he blogs furiously, Ansari has clearly made it big in Hollywood, hanging out with A listers like Kanye West and collaborating with the likes of Judd Apatow.